3/15/2012

Guinness and Cheddar Meatloaf

Lamb, Guinness, and a good Irish Cheddar, all wrapped in bacon and glazed with more Guinness, um....yum! Could there be a more perfect meal than that for St. Patrick's Day? Possibly, but for know, I am going with this wonderful meatloaf recipe packed full of flavor.

The original recipe called for a mixture of ground beef and lamb, but since this has an Irish twist with the addition of a stout beer and cheddar, I figured the lamb would be a good pairing. I omitted the celery and carrots because I do not care for a meatloaf packed with veggies. I like to keep it simple with lots of onions and a bit of garlic in order for the flavor of the meat to shine through. After all, this is a meatloaf, not a veggieloaf(save the vegetables for a side dish). I also like a tightly textured meatloaf when I slice into it. I drives me bonkers when I see a beautiful meatloaf that falls apart when cut, so I use the food processor to process the meat a bit further. Fewer binders are needed and the end result is much more juicy and tender. Wrapping it in bacon adds flavor to an already tasty mixture. Also, I had a half bottle of Guiness Extra Stout left over from the reduction and I knew I could put it to a good use. Down the hatch was my first thought, but I resisted and decided to take a pointer from the Triple Chocolate Guinness Cookies and made a reduced syrup to glaze the top. Boy, oh boy! Is this ever good. There is sweetness from the glaze, smokiness from the bacon, and a deep, rich flavor from the meats and cheese. My middle child doesn't particularly care for lamb. After she asked for seconds, I let her in on the main ingredient. She was surprised. I believe her words were, "If all lamb tasted like this, I would eat it all the time."

I wrote the recipe for one large loaf, but I actually made two. One for dinner and one for leftovers. Not just warmed up leftovers, but sandwiches made with toasted white bread, a good schmear of mayonnaise, and pickled red onions. I might make it again just for the sandwiches ☺!

For the Glaze
In a medium saucepan, bring the stout, brown sugar and honey to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until reduced by half, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool; set half the mixture aside. Reserve remaining glaze for another use.

For the Meatloaf
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until softened and just beginning to brown, about 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the stout and simmer briskly until almost dry, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool until just warm.

In a small bowl, reconstitute the dried mushrooms by covering them with boiling water; allow to soak for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the mushrooms and finely chop.

In a shallow dish, soak the bread in the milk, tossing once, until soggy but not falling apart, about 5-7 minutes; set aside.

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, then a sheet of parchment paper. Transfer the meat mixture to the sheet and form into a 9x5-inch rectangular loaf. Drape the meatloaf with slightly overlapping strips of bacon, tucking the ends under the loaf. Brush the top of the meatloaf with half of the glaze.

Bake until an instant read thermometer registers 160° F in the center of the meatloaf, about 45-50 minutes.

Remove the meatloaf from the oven. Place the oven rack 6 inches from the broiler element and preheat the broiler. Brush the remaining glaze over the meatloaf and broil until the bacon is browned and crisped, about 2-3 minutes, checking and rotating to make sure the glaze doesn't scorch. Using two large spatulas, carefully transfer the meatloaf to a cutting board and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes. Cut into 3/4 to 1-inch thick slices. Enjoy!

No pork (bacon in the recipe), no cheese, no beer with food??!! Yikes, my condolences! You certainly need to make this for yourself, tell the others to get take-out pizza, and enjoy your leftovers in a sandwich ☺. I haven't tried it with this meatloaf, but I always have good results when freezing leftovers as well.

Just wanted to thank you for this recipe. We made it recently, with just some minor adjustments, and absolutely loved it. I'll be sharing our version on my own blog, with link back to your original recipe and blog. Thank you again, such a winner!

Hi there. The current Food on Friday on Carole's Chatter is all about meatloaf. I do hope you link this nice one in. This is the link . Please do pop back to check out some of the other links. Have a great week.

In the oven as I write this... we are not a big meatloaf eating family but I had to try this when I saw it (found by searching for a meatloaf recipe without ketchup). Serving it with a potato/parsnip/carrot mash... Can't wait!!!

This was a terrific recipe; thank you! I just made it for St. Patrick's day and my husband (who doesn't like lamb) went back for thirds. I left the mushrooms out since he also doesn't like those, and it was absolutely delicious.